(COLORADO) — After seeing a rise in kidney stone cases among kids, Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) is making sure families and caregivers recognize the signs of kidney stones.
“Each year, across the Children’s Colorado System of Care, our experts treat between 100-300 children and youth for kidney stones,” according to a press release sent to FOX21 News on Tuesday, April 22. “Over the past 20 years, the number of patients with kidney stones has almost doubled.”
What is a kidney stone?
“A kidney stone is a hard crystal that forms in urine within the kidneys,” according to Children’s Colorado. “It consists of salts and minerals that crystallize inside the kidneys. Maintaining the proper balance of these salts and minerals helps to prevent kidney stones; however, an imbalance can lead to their formation.”
According to Children’s Colorado, the following can cause kidney stones in children:
An imbalanced diet: for example, diets that are high in salt or animal protein such as beef, chicken, fish, or pork.
Certain medical conditions: such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, obesity, renal tubular acidosis, and others.
Medications: Your doctor should review the medications your child is taking.
History: family or personal history of kidney stones.
Dehydration: not drinking enough water.
According to Children’s Colorado, “early detection, diagnosis, and medical treatment are crucial for recovery,” which is why it’s so important for parents or caregivers to recognize the signs and symptoms to look out for in their children.
Children’s Colorado lists the following kidney stone symptoms in children to watch out for:
Back, side or groin pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Blood in their urine
General symptoms, such as abdominal pain
For more information, including how kidney stones are diagnosed and treated in kids, plus how to prevent future kidney stones from happening, click here.
FOX21 News will be speaking with Dr. Heiko Yang, a pediatric urologist at Children’s Colorado, on Wednesday afternoon, April 23, and will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
